3 September 2025
Who does this notice affect?
This notice is relevant to importers of tomato and capsicum seed for sowing from all countries, as well as their custom brokers.
What is changing?
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) has completed the first phase of its review of Australia’s import conditions for tomato and capsicum seed disease testing. We have carefully considered the feedback received on the proposed changes which were notified on 17 April 2025 and this has informed the updated import conditions. Further information on how stakeholder input was considered and addressed is available on our webpage.
This initial phase focused on seed testing protocols for Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV), as well as the authorisation process for laboratories conducting these tests.
This notification outlines the outcomes of the review and details the updated import conditions.
We are introducing two key changes to strengthen the seed testing requirements. Firstly, we will establish a list of authorised laboratories registered to test tomato and capsicum seed. Secondly, we will update the approved testing protocols and the interpretation of their results to improve consistency and assurance in detecting ToBRFV and ToMMV.
These new requirements will commence on 12 November 2025 with authorised laboratories published on 1 October 2025 to enable importers to begin transitioning to new arrangements.
1. Laboratory authorisation
Under current import conditions, any offshore seed testing laboratory is allowed to conduct tomato and capsicum seed testing for ToBRFV and ToMMV. Under the updated import conditions, only laboratories authorised by us will be permitted to perform these tests.
- Laboratories that intend to test tomato and capsicum seed for export to Australia must register to become an authorised testing laboratory.
- To register, laboratories must complete a registration form confirming their commitment to implementing the new testing requirements. The completed form must be emailed to the department at imports@aff.gov.au with the subject line: Plant T2 - Seed for sowing – Laboratory authorisation’. Laboratories must submit their registration form by COB 24 September 2025.
- We will publish a list of authorised laboratories on our website on 1 October 2025. The import conditions will specify that, from 12 November 2025, only laboratory test reports issued by laboratories on this list will be accepted for testing tomato and capsicum seeds for ToBRFV and ToMMV.
- We encourage importers to begin using the authorised laboratories for relevant seed testing from 1 October 2025, during the transition period. Use of an authorised laboratory will become mandatory from 12 November 2025 for ToBRFV and ToMMV testing of tomato and capsicum seeds.
2. Seed testing protocols
Under the updated import conditions, the following changes will apply:
- Updated qPCR protocols approved for ToBRFV and ToMMV testing
- Authorised laboratories will be required to test tomato and capsicum seed lots using 2 approved protocols for each virus. Table 1 shows the approved PCR protocols under the new conditions.
- Table 2 lists the previously approved end-point reverse-transcription PCRs for ToBRFV and ToMMV detection. These tests will not be accepted under the new conditions and will be removed from the list.
| Virus | First required protocol | Second required protocol |
|---|---|---|
| ToBRFV | CaTa28 reverse-transcription qPCR | CSP1325 reverse-transcription qPCR OR Menzel and Winter reverse-transcription qPCR (qs1/p1/qas2) |
| ToMMV | CaTa9 reverse-transcription qPCR | CSP1572 reverse-transcription qPCR OR ToMMV2 reverse-transcription qPCR |
| Virus | Non-approved PCR testing protocols |
|---|---|
| ToBRFV | Levitzky et al. 2019 and Alkowni et al. 2019 |
| ToMMV | Levitzky et al. 2019 |
- Defined Ct (Cq) cut-off values for qPCR results
- Under the updated conditions, laboratories must use a threshold cycle/quantification cycle (Ct/Cq) cut-off of 35 to determine the results of the qPCR protocols.
- A statement must be included on laboratory reports that states the Ct cut-off point used to determine the result.
- Re-testing requirements for subsamples after potentially anomalous amplifications
- Laboratories may re-test or conduct confirmatory testing on seed homogenates and RNA RNA extracts if a result appears anomalous. However, only approved qPCR protocols may be used, and the same Ct cut-off values will apply.
- Record keeping requirements
- Laboratories must keep records of protocols and standard operating procedures, test results, and all decisions about potentially anomalous results. These records must be made available to us upon request.
Full details of the changes to seed testing protocols can be found on the Pathogen testing requirements for tomato and capsicum seeds webpage.
Commencement date and transition period
The list of authorised laboratories will be published on our website on 1 October 2025, and a 6-week transition period will be in place before import conditions become mandatory on 12 November 2025.
During the transition period, we will continue to accept seed lots that have already been tested for ToBRFV and ToMMV under existing import conditions.
Consignments that arrive on or after 12 November 2025 that do not meet the new requirements will be offered onshore testing at an approved laboratory in Australia (at the importer’s expense), exported or disposed.
Import permits
We will contact affected import permit holders to notify we will be varying existing permits in accordance with the above changes. Variation to import permits will be at no cost to importers.
Information sessions
We are holding 2 online information sessions to provide further details on the upcoming changes. One session will be scheduled later in the day to accommodate international stakeholders.
When
- 10.30am AEST, 16 September 2025
- 4.30pm AEST, 16 September 2025
Where
Online via Microsoft Teams Live Event.
Registration
This is a free event. To attend, please register via our Humanitix webpage by selecting the 'Get Tickets' button.
We encourage you to circulate this notification to any interested stakeholders, including laboratories that test tomato and capsicum seed for export to Australia.
Future changes to seed testing requirements
These changes form part of a broader review of laboratory assurance policies for seed pathogen testing across all seed pathways. We will undertake further consultation as this review progresses.
Further information
For further information please contact Plant Import Operations via email at imports@aff.gov.au (please include ‘Plant T2 - Seed for sowing’ within the subject line of the email).
Please review the updated Pathogen testing requirements for tomato and capsicum seeds webpage and Emergency measures for tomato and capsicum seed webpage for more information on these changes.